WILMINGTON, N.C. — The new year is a more than just a time to look ahead to the future, it’s also a time to look back, reflect, and say goodbye to what’s being left in the past.
That’s the thought behind a yearly tradition at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, which held its ninth annual Floating Lantern Ceremony on Sunday.
Every lantern at the ceremony represents something different. Some simply feature beautiful drawings, others are covered in well wishes for the new year, but for Amy Nealey and her son, their lantern honors the life of someone they miss most: her partner, Christopher.
“This is a perfect way to start the year,” Nealey said. “For us to really honor him, and keep his memory alive, and just keep the love flowing that he had for us and for everyone else.”
Christopher passed away unexpectedly from a heart attack in 2022.
“It was the hardest thing we’ve ever had to go through, very devastating,” Nealey said. “Very tragic, but made us much stronger and grew our bond much closer together.”
They came to the Cameron Art Museum’s Floating Lantern Ceremony last year, where sending off a lantern helped ease some of their heartache. This year, they’ve come back to do it again and are decorating their lantern with some of Christopher’s best quotes and favorite memories.
“So this actually is a fish. I’m not an artist by any sense, but he loved to fish, avid fisherman, had a custom boat designed and made that was named Steeling Drum,” Nealey said. “And that was one of the things that they really cherished the most and loved to do together.”
It’s those memories that bring Nealey a sense of comfort and that have taught her an important lesson that she’ll bring into the new year.
“It’s just important to cherish every single day and live life to the fullest in every aspect and not take any days for granted,” Nealey said. “And just to know that at any second and any moment, life can change and to really be grateful for even the simplest things.”
Nealey and her son joined the hundreds of people — all with their own memories and New Year’s resolutions displayed on their lanterns — as they sent them off into the museum’s reflection pond.
Many people were emotional as their lanterns were released, Nealey included, who said that seeing all the lights on the water brings her hope.
“It was great to watch it be released into the water, and just to know that hope goes on,” Nealey said. “And 2024 is gonna be a great year.”
Cameron Art Museum’s Floating Lantern Ceremony is held each year in conjunction with its Illumination exhibit, which features artist-made lanterns from across the country. That exhibit is open until Jan. 14.